Never in a million years did I think I would want him this way. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind when I made that initial bargain.
He felt me tense when his fingers reached my sex, when he gently ran his thumb along my slit. He stilled and pulled back, peering down at me with those observant, watchful eyes.
Whatever he saw made his jaw tick and with a rough sound, he pulled his hand away, settling back against the cushions.
“Sleep,kalles,” he ordered and then promptly shut his eyes. “Veekor.”
Confusion, frustration, and perhaps even relief, flooded through me.
I bit my lip, still able to feel the heat of his hand between my thighs, the warmth of his tongue ghosting across my neck. Squirming, I blew out a quiet breath and then hesitantly settled back into my cushion, facing away from him.
What was that about?I wondered.
Closing my eyes, I listened to his steady breathing, trying to calm my racing thoughts and my burning body.
And I fell into another restless sleep wondering why he’d stopped…and realizing that I hadn’t wanted him to.
Chapter Twenty-One
Thepyrokimaster was happily munching on hishjifruit that I’d brought him from the market stalls that morning.
While I wasn’t shoveling shit anymore, the task he’d given me wasn’t much better and one that terrified me more.
I had to groom thepyrokisthat had returned with their horde riders late last night. Except for my husband’s, of course. No, thepyrokimaster seemed to think that taking care of Kailon was his sole responsibility and one he took great pride in.
Kailon had eyed me carefully as the master demonstrated what I was to do for the rest of the morning. My heart had fluttered madly in my chest, thinking that any moment, the black-scaled, red-eyed beast could tear off a chunk of me…just like apyrokihad done to my mother. My hands had trembled. I could feel rivulets of sweat stream down my back. I thought I would throw up my morning meal as I stood as close to Kailon as I dared.
The beast was just like my husband in a way. Big, intimidating, powerful. It had eyes like steel and didn’t seemed impressed with meat all.
The master gave me a stiff bristled brush and led me over to apyroki, which stamped its feet and made a hair-raising sound at my approach.
“Do not fear them,” the master ordered me, giving me a frown. “They sense it. They will take advantage of it.”
It was impossible for me not to fear them. That fear felt imbedded within me as I thought about what Arokan said. That if I didn’t understand and accept thepyroki, I would never win over the horde. I wondered if it was possible when I felt this ball of fear lodged in my guy. I knew I wouldalwayshave it.
Mirari and Lavi watched me from outside the pen. Mirari had apparently deemed grooming not as undignified as shoveling shit and hadn’t offered her help that day, not that I wanted it.
I had to do this. Not only for Arokan, but for myself.
Then the master left me with thepyroki, sauntering back to oversee Jriva, who still had the Shit Corner duty.
The brush felt like it weighed a hundred pounds in my palm as I slowly approached the beast. It made that awful groaning sound in its throat again and I took a deep breath, carefully catching the reins in my grip as the master had showed me, to keep the head steady.
I sensed movement out of the corner of my eye. When I turned my head, I saw Arokan, walking with the messenger and another Dakkari male. I hadn’t seen him since he came to bed last night, but our eyes connected and he stopped, breaking off his conversation to watch me.
He crossed his arms over his massive, golden chest and waited. The two others males noticed and watched me as well. Arokan cocked his head to the side as if saying ‘get on with it already.’
My jaw clenched. He was testing me, wanted to see if I would actually do it.
Indignation rose, briefly overlapping my fear. I set my shoulders back and tugged thepyroki’shead towards me with a pull of the reins, holding him steady. When he struggled, my muscles strained as I held him tight, fighting the panic as much as the creature.
Then I brought the brush down, running it across the scales, scraping off a speck of dried blood that had formed, trying not to think whose blood it was. Ghertun or Dakkari orpyroki.
Thepyrokistruggled again, making my breath hitch in fright and surprise, but I held him firm and whispered, “Stop. I’m not hurting you.”
Thepyrokiseemed surprised to hear my voice, stilling for a moment, tilting its head to the side.
“Trust me, you can do a whole lot of damage to me, more than I could ever hurt you.”
